The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-07
The City Churches Petition the Confer
ence to Make Important Changes.
A Marion County Conference, with Resident
Presiding Elder, and an Episcopal Resi-
dence in indianapolis Asked for.
Suggestions by Bishops Bowman and
Mallalieu Relative to Church Matters.
Chapel Last Evening-0pening of the
Lexington Conference This Morning


Lexington Conference This Morning.
conference of Methodists was held at Me-
ridisn. street Nj. E. Church yesterday to consider
the general interests of that denomination in
this city. The opening session began at 2:30
o'clock p. NJ, and was delegate meeting, being
composed of the ministers and two laymen from
Ames, Blackford street, California street, Gen.
tral-avenue, Edwin Ray Memorial First Ger
man, Second German, Fletcherplace Grace,
Hall place. Hill-street, Irvineton. Meridian
street, Roberts Park. Seventh-street, and
Simpson churches. Rev. DR.. Gilbert was
chosen to preside. and ]. B. McNeely acted
as secretary. Rev. /. H. Mcconnell led
the devotional exercises Bishop Hurst, being
present, was introduced to the meeting. The
object of the meeting, stated by DR.. Gilbert,
xas to unity the Methodism of the city. as the
churches are divided into different confer
snces, of which there are four, including the
German and colored churches. The meeting
is to consider the propriety of asking the Gen
eral Conference either to throw indianapolis
churches all into one conference, in some
other way suitable to the General Conference to
cor solidate Methodsm in this city. The mat
ter was then discussed by Revs. Rawls. Tevs.
Anderson and Mcconnell and Mr.. E. W. Hal
ford. Charles W. Smith spoke of the indiffer-
snce Of the young people of the church to re-
ligious matters and church work and the devo-
ton of the older members to business and with
little devotion to the church. Mr.. Smith was
followed by Rev. Duncan, who suggested wider
acquaintance of members with each other. He
also suggested an advisory board in the interest
Of church location.
Rev. Charles Tinsley reported statistics as
follows: Members and probationers, 5,O91; Sun
day-school enrolment. 4,6l5; value of church
property, $477.300; church Indebtedness. s22,-
100; estimate expense for the conference year,
1927. $50; class leaders in the churches. 81.
Rev. j. w. Duncan presented the following
resolutions:
Resolved That it is the expression of this meeting
that the interest of Methodsm in indianapolis de-
mands C) that Marion county be placed in annual
conference and in presiding elder district; (2)
that the presiding elder reside in indianapolis; ~
that this city be made the seat of episcopal resi-
dence, and ~ that there be formed Methodist ALI
ance.
The resolutions, after discussion by Dr. Gill
bert Col j. w. Ray and Rev. T. A. Goodwin,
were adopted. Bishop Bowman was introduced
by DR.. Lynch and the meeting adjourned.
Suggestions to Indianapolis Methodists.
At the evening session, after devotional exer-
cises by Dr. j. E. Gilbert, the meeting was ad-
dressed by Bishop Bowman. of st. Louis. He
said 1.-THE best thing to do for the Methodist
churches in this city would be first to unity them
and then get the rest of the people converted
From resolution passed this afternoon, see
that another element is necessary-that is, to
have an episcopal residence here. 1 am sorry
you didn't think of that fifteen years ago. This
city would have been my choice. But I think
you over estimate the advantages Of such a res
idence. The mere residence of the bishop
amounts to little. unless the bishop neglects
neglect them There are SO many
calls all over the territory supposed
to be under my immediate care
that ! am able to give comparatively
little time to ST. Louis Then You want to have
this city all in conference. all in one dis
trict, and there, perhaps, you again overstretch.
There other cities besides your own divided
by conferences. New York is so divided. The
city of Baltimore is divided into three districts
So if there Is some defect in the work going on
IN Indianapolis. don't put it all on that account.
think there is lying at the bottom of this whole
question: in Indianapolis. as in St. Louis and
you have lost the idea and spirit of connection
alism that existed among our fathers. First of
ell. your conferences are separated
from each other, as if they are indie
pendent bodies. If we transfer
preacher we sometimes see a great many
lists, as ii to say TO the preacher. You have
come in here and you don't belong here Now
the conferences are only separated for business
purposes and nothing ese The people in other
conferences ought to be near and dear to us
% those in our own conference, and these lines
divisions ought not TO make any difference. We
Are simply divided in this way for convenience
sake and business sake and nothing else. The
preachers fail to bring this to the attention of
the people as they should. When have you ever
heard sermon touching this great correctional
principle OF Methodsml How many of you
have read it in your Disciplined In the vast ma
jorty OF cases the preachers fail to that
theii people are brought to see and feel how
they are related to the great Methodist Church
wherever it may be.
How does 1t como that in Indianapolis there
are not as many children in the Sunday schools
as there are members in the churches2 Don't
your own members have their children GO to
Sunday-school9 There FIVE or six hundred
fewer children in the Sunday schools than men,
bers in the churches. There is something wrong
here. A part of it grows out of the failure of
the preachers to look after these things. People
ere not wide awake unless the preachers are
leading. / find in some of our cities the preach
srs are aiming to fill the pulpit, to preach grand
and magnificent sermons and nothing else. If
the preacher is not faithful in the pastoral
work-visiting families, talking to parents
and children-this is not to be wondered at.
often find Methodist children going to
other Sunday schools In the city of New York,
divided as said before in more than one dis
trict, there is church extension society and
missionary society. and in year there was
nearly 900 collected and expended for mis-
sionary work in that city outside of collections
for the work at large. The large and wealthy
churches are using their wealth and influence in
building up the poorer churches. They plant
and build up Sunday schools, and they become
churches. That can be done in this city. This
very church. with between 500 and 600 mem bers.
could plant one or two missions in some part OF
the city. carry them and build them up, so
that after time they would be self-sustaining
churches. There other churches here that
could do it also. And the churches doing so
would themselves be made stronger and better.
What has a conference line to 90 with my duty
rs preacher a member of the church? What
We want is fresh baptism of Christ, and grant
that 1t may come now, and that this house may
be filled with sense of the divine presence and
the divine power. How many have you had
converted in this church during the year with
your 57OJnerr5ers 1t used to be that had
as many conversions in year as we had mem.
bers. What We want for the evangelization
Oh the city aud the country is a renew
81 OF tine spirit of conservation that
every man. woman and child will be an active
worker fer God and the salvation of precious